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Sticking to the Subject of Denture Adhesives: Allergy

Written by Daniel Subbotin BSc, BA, DDJuly 17, 2011

Good sense and logic must prevail.

One of the questions that occur with regularity concerning dentures is that of the use of dental adhesives and allergic reaction. With a subject that has so little clinical data and so much opinion, it is worth a few moments to discuss this area of concern.

From the standpoint of EPICITI – Mobile Dental Care, the most important focus should be to determine when dental adhesives are truly necessary. Most important to the wearing of dentures is a good fit. With that in mind, very often dental adhesives are just not necessary. If you feel that you need one, the best first step is to consult your denturist.

The second observation suggests that you should carefully check the ingredients in a dental adhesive before purchase. AboutLawsuits.com speaks of investigations with respect to after-effects of dental adhesives such as hypocupremia, a condition of increased levels of zinc in the body and reduced levels of copper. It follows that if you have a known allergy to zinc, dental adhesives are probably not a good idea.

Another observation includes the possibility of allergies to the colouring agents in dental products. Again, it will be vitally important that you check the ingredients of your dental adhesive before using it.

But rather than concern ourselves with all of the possible negative reactions, let’s focus on the right ways to use dental adhesives and potential for positive outcomes. The primary requirement of dentures is a good fit. With this given, the adhesive will provide additional stability, with little potential for negative consequence.

If this prerequisite condition isn’t met, the ill-fitting denture coupled with denture adhesive can be damaging to the underlying hard and soft tissues. In this case, what may seem to be an allergic reaction may very well be misuse or other complications.

For those unfamiliar with denture adhesives, there are two basic types, paste and powder. Powders are easier to clean and have less capacity to irritate tissue. The third (less common) alternative is thin liners that must be cut to fit your dentures.

Paste should be applied to a wet denture, preferably away from denture borders. When you have adhesive oozing, use less product. On the upper denture, apply three short strips or a series of small dots along the ridges and one down the center. On the lower, apply the same three short strips of adhesive (or small dots) in the center of the ridge area.

Powder is easier to apply, sprinkling some of it on denture surfaces and shaking off excess. As above, the most critical element is having dentures that fit properly. They must also be clean and it’s a good idea to start with less adhesive than you think you’ll need, adding more as necessary.

With all of these processes in place, your best strategy for avoiding allergic reaction is good preparation. What looks like allergy may very well be incorrect application or reline that your denture may require. In some cases, it may simply be time to replace your dentures.

In addition to creating irritation to soft tissues and underlying bone, ill-fitting dentures can create conditions that imitate allergic reactions. Be cautious and diligent about checking ingredients, use the adhesives sparingly and most importantly, consult the specialists for in-home or nursing home care denturist care that will minimize the possibility of problems.

Above all, don’t think of your denture adhesive as a “fix” to denture issues. With resources such as EPICITI – Onsite Dental Solutions available to visit in your home or your nursing or retirement home, you won’t need to create your own corrections to have dentures that fit. Our caring and technically proficient denturists are available to make certain that your dentures are right, in many cases alleviating need for denture adhesives and potential allergic reactions.

About EPICITI- Mobile Dental Care

EPICITI - Mobile Dental Care is a company dedicated to providing the entire range of services to its patients, both in institutional residential settings and in the home. EPICITI specializes in on-call, house call denture services. These services include oral health assessments and one-on-one educational sessions for the improvement of oral health, complete and partial dentures, rebasing, repairs, relines and emergency response.